Bronx, N.Y. – For the past 31 years the Fordham University rowing program has seen many student-athletes win numerous regattas. However, one thing remained constant. Ted Bonanno was the head coach. That will change today as Bonanno officially retires from Fordham.
 
"Coaching Fordham has been one of the great joys of my life," said Bonanno. "My last 31 years have been a blessing. What really stands out to me is the way the majority of my rowers have faithfully followed my training philosophy, which has always been very simple. Strive for excellence and do your absolute best for your team, yourself, and Fordham University."
 
"Coach Bonanno has taken Fordham women's and men's crew to new heights under his tenure," said interim athletic director Ed Kull. "The impact he made on his student-athletes is clear by the love and support he receives from all of his alumni. His decades of dedication to Fordham University will never be forgotten and we wish him nothing but the best in this next chapter!"
 
For over a quarter of a century, Bonanno served as the head men's and women's rowing coach at Fordham. Over that time his crews medaled at the Dad Vail Regatta the first 20 years in a row and 23 years overall. Ten of his crews have also had undefeated seasons. Bonanno's Fordham crews have won 17 national championships, including a Division I National Collegiate Championship, the I.R.A Regatta, eleven at the Dad Vail Regatta, and three at the ECAC National Collegiate Invitational Regatta.
 
In what turned out to be his final regatta as head coach, Bonanno led the Rams to a third place finish at the 2019 Atlantic 10 Championship with three Fordham rowers earning All-Atlantic 10 honors.
 
The previous spring, Fordham finished second in the team standings at the 2018 Dad Vail Championships with both the Varsity 8 and Junior Varsity 8 placing third in the Grand Final.
 
Success at Dad Vails was nothing new to Bonanno. In 2012, Fordham advanced three crews to the Dad Vail Grand Finals. The women's freshman 4 which took home gold by open water, while the varsity lightweight 4 won bronze medals and the varsity open 4 just missed the medal podium, placing fourth.
 
A 1970 graduate of Marietta College in Ohio, Bonanno began his college coaching career at Rutgers University in 1970 and in 1974 directed their lightweight program to its best team performance at the Eastern Sprints in school history. He served as head coach and director of rowing for Columbia University for eight years during which time his varsity heavyweight eight won the nationally acclaimed Rusty Callow Award.
 
During his outstanding collegiate coaching career, Bonanno has also been actively involved in domestic and international rowing. While head coach at the New York Athletic Club, his crews won more than 500 medals at US Nationals, and Canadian Henley. Bonanno has also run Senior National Team Olympic Development Camps for the United States Rowing Association during seven summer seasons and produced gold medal performances at US Nationals and Canadian Henley each year. He directed the Nereid Boat Club's summer program for four years, and brought Nereid to national prominence with a second place finish in men's and women's rowing at the 2002 US Rowing Championships. In 2009 Bonanno directed the program for the New York Rowing Association and produced their first ever medals at US Nationals.
 
Internationally, Bonanno rowed on the U.S. National Team in the 1970's and has continued competing worldwide as head coach of national teams for Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and India. He was selected to coach at four Olympic Games and has coached at six World Championships and two Pan American Games. In July of 2009, he coached the US Women's Open Double at the U-23 World Championships in the Czech Republic.